


Superman versus Batman

by black_hat_with_bells



Category: Heroes - Fandom
Genre: F/F, F/M, Threesome - F/F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-05-02
Updated: 2011-05-02
Packaged: 2017-10-18 21:23:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,322
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/193440
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/black_hat_with_bells/pseuds/black_hat_with_bells
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Superhero debate by...heroes</p>
            </blockquote>





	Superman versus Batman

**Author's Note:**

> beta'd by superkappa

Claire questioned the wisdom of sharing a few of Lyle’s superhero movies with these two.

(Her brother had loaned them to her, saying they were a bit too freaky to watch now, all things considered. That didn’t hurt. Much.)

It occurred to her that she might be a glutton for punishment, but she was curious at their reaction as former—well not-so-former-…that v word. And hey, she didn’t need satisfaction to bring her back though in truth, Claire had been very satisfied lately.

They were bored with the stationary lifestyle and there was that whole idle hands theory. Sometimes she really, really enjoyed the idle hands theory more than she should when they got restless.

The sacrifices she had to make for the good of the world. This one, however, was something she could live with, curled up between them in the blankets.

(Never mind that *that* was her parents’ be….never mind.)

Tonight The Dark Knight was the movie they chose, and Elle was sitting cross-legged right in front of the TV, her (cute) nose an inch away from the screen and her hair piled up in a messy, golden bun, a look she had stolen from Claire.

She was wearing a blue tank top that rode up a little, showing her skin, another stolen look. Claire thought this fashion copying was something that Elle should never stop doing—as the clothes were not quite right for her but insta-perk right there. Something about Elle made Claire want to hold her and never let her go, never wanted the untouchable light quality Elle had to leave…

Which was why she had stayed in the first place: to protect her from Sylar.

Elle was enjoying the movie. A bit too much. She clapped her hands at the Joker’s magic trick, rocking back and forth with laughter.

Sylar, who was sitting at the polar opposite end of the couch with her, was not enjoying the movie. A bit too little. Once upon a time, Elle had whispered that being with Sylar was like being at the mercy of the weather. Sometimes it was sunny, sometimes it was cloudy, and sometimes it poured.

Right now, it was that weird yellow quiet tornado weather with a ninety-nine percent chance of hell.

Claire was better at reading his moods: he had his chin propped up, a gray shirt on (which was weird but not in a bad way), and his smirk tonight read a slight chance of condescension.

“You like the movie?” Claire challenged, all sweetness.

“It’s…doable.”

“It’s definitely doable,” Elle chirped, her eyes still fixated on the screen, watching the Joker loom threateningly.

“I’m just not this type of person,” Sylar finished.

‘You’re a person?’ would have been her initial response months ago, but Claire reigned in her instinct, playing with the fabric of her jeans thoughtfully.

“...I’m going to regret this, and I know you’re baiting me for to question you for an answer, waiting for me to bite…”

“Go ahead, and bite,” came another chirp from the gallery. “Just not too much without me.”

“Never,” Sylar told Elle calmly and then turned to Claire. “There are two types of people in this world: Batman people and Superman people.”

She took a moment to process this. Yes, all the complexity in the world, it was so clear now.

“You’re a fan of comics. I should be surprised. What about horror movies too, Zombie movies in particular?”

“No,” he said quickly. “My…well, no, I think it’s-.”

“Silly,” Elle filled in before giggling again at an act of sadism. “Let’s not blow this out of proportion!”

“But I find it a fascinating way to study the human mind is to see the patterns on a micro-scale. It’s kind of a mythology, an archetype. And to me, Superman is more of an ideal hero than Batman ever could be.”

“Just because, or do you have a reason?”

“He always has a reason, Claire,” Elle intoned, not quiet the TV zombie yet.

Sylar smiled down at Elle and then looked at the TV. “Superman was perfect. His every decision is innately good; it’s because he’s not like the rest of humanity, forced to live with ordinary parents, but chose to blend in, hide his true self, until it was time, until the world needed him. He just knows what to do; he doesn’t have to worry about human failings, emotions that make him fall into mistakes.”

He didn’t look at her, lost in thought. Sylar, big bad Sylar, was taking this fictional character who wore red underwear seriously. This was too good.

“It’s just he’s always right. He just is a force unto himself, pure in his reasoning and everyone knows it. They don’t understand but they know and trust him and…well, he’s a hero.”

“Oh,” Claire said, pausing for a minute. Elle dug through her popcorn “Hmm.”

Sylar raised an eyebrow. “Is that a disagreeing ‘hmmm’?”

“I thought you knew everything about me. What do you think?”

“Okay, Claire. What’s your idea of a hero?”

“Definitely Batman,” she answered, smirking and contrary. “Can you turn the volume up a little more, L?

“With pleasure. I can see why people get killed at movie theatres. Yak-yak-yak.”

Sylar moved closer, keeping his eyes locked on her while Claire mimicked his previous position of being casual, cupping her chin in her hand. It was almost funny, watching him place one arm behind her like a normal boyfriend would do, his leg warm against hers.

And he was close, his breath ghosting along her neck, giving her goose-bumps. She couldn’t look at him, though. This was a subject of great significance after all. Claire rolled her eyes.

“I’m not changing my mind."

“But you’re so open-minded. I’ve seen it myself.”

“Burn,” Elle chimed. “No, wait. Shut up, this is a good part.”

“Do I really have to bite to get an answer?”

“It wouldn’t hurt,” she said, double-entendre.

“You know that’s a shame, come to think of it.” He put his lips to her neck, tasting her with his tongue, and well—

“Batman for sure. He has the ability to be normal, to have everything, but he sacrificed it so no one would have to be hurt like he had been hurt. He doesn’t want anyone else to go through that pain. And if the bad guys get roughed up, well, they knew what they were getting into. He sacrificed everything, risked even being hated, because he knew he could take it.”

“I’d so be a bad guy for you, Claire, I—huh, oh that’s right,” Elle said, looking over her shoulder. “You’d be a lousy Bat…person. Everyone would be a criminal to get a taste of you ‘roughing’ them up.”

“Good thing I’m no hero.”

Elle gave her a look of confusion followed by some contemplation in her eyes before shrugging and turning back to her entertainment.

“Hmm.” Sylar know how the smirk on where he was amused at something stupid, both eyebrows up.

“Still not changing my opinion.”

“It’s just that Batman is too dark.”

She almost fell off of the couch. “What?!”

“It’s true. His motives aren’t altruistic: it can be questioned that it was more nurture than nature. His obsession all came from the ashes of his failure to save his parents.”

Wasn’t this guy getting it? Of course he got it. He was pushing it, is what he was doing.

“Of his helplessness. Yeah. Got that.”

He tilted his head. “Ah. Guilt too.”

“Do you know why yaks are an endangered species?” Elle asked but wasn’t heard.

She turned to look him in the eyes. “How about you go fly into the sun, Sylar.”

“Doesn’t appeal to me. It’s hot enough here.” At her look (at her thought he was coming on to her in this kind of discussion), he smiled, his eyes shining. Tense. “I’m in hot water, aren’t I?”

They stared each other down. Her jaw was clenched and she was going to punch him. Not in any pleasurable way, but really break his face.

“I can’t help that some things can’t be undone. They are unforgivable. It…” He seemed to be trying to find some words but for once—really speechless. It might not have annoyed her as badly if it hadn’t been about non-reality. She was sick of him and his non-reality, his escapism. She wanted to ground him and make him see, and if the only way he saw was through ink and imagination, she was going to beat him.

“Nothing is unforgivable, if say, the person really wanted forgiveness. It is if they think they were right the whole damn time!”

He had the nerve to look hurt, the-she wanted to ask if he would do it differently if he had the chance, but she knew the answer and that-

“That’s it! I’ve had it!” Claire jerked when Elle leapt to her feet, popcorn box clenched in her hand. “I’m glad you two can regenerate because you would have bored each other to death by now. You know, some of us—most of us—are going to die, and I think it’s so—impossible—for you to force me to listen to this shit, again and again.”

“Elle,” he hurried to answer, stunned but she sparked threateningly.

“Some of us didn’t get to chose to be a hero. Some of us aren’t made like that, aren’t capable of it. Or maybe it’s more complex than what you are going on about. It’s not that fucking black and white! Both can chose to be normal? Well, not everyone had that choice!  
I’m here to be in a family for once, to be together. To be normal, just to see what it’s like, and this is what I get, a whining contest. And there was a lot of cheese with that whine, god, ‘some things…..are just…unforgivable…”

She did do a great Sylar impression, and he seemed to notice himself.

“…I wouldn’t say whining,” Sylar muttered, still shocked. Probably about to be literally shocked. “And I don’t sound like that.”

“Why so fucking serious all the dam-.”

Claire burst out laughing, covering her mouth. None of it was funny really but—“Did you say that on purpose?”

“I said it, it was on purpose. How do you speak accidently?”

Then Sylar started to laugh, seeing the humor.

“What?! How is that funny?!” Elle threw up her hands.

“Oh my god. The line from the movie-.”

“I couldn’t hear the movie past the cool pencil thing. You just kept talking and bickering,” she said, pouting.

“Oh shit,” he said.

“Holy unexpected ménage a trios, Superman,” Claire choked out.

“Just because I can’t speak French doesn’t mean that you can talk bad about me,” Elle said, walking around behind them.

“Elle,” she began before she had a bucket of popcorn poured over her, dumped over her. He got a face full of popcorn too. Claire heard Elle running, and she jumped to her feet.

“She’ll go around back!”

“I’ll cut her off.”

Turns out, Claire was wrong. Elle made a beeline right upstairs, Mr. Muggles barking from his bed at the foot of the stairs gave the woman’s location away.

“I’m done for tonight, I’m taking a shower!” Elle was yelling, and Claire grinned, grabbing her before she could get in the door.

“First you have to pay for that,” Sylar said, having beat Claire upstairs—somehow.

“Have to rough you up,” Claire said, winking and pushing Elle up against Sylar, who wrapped his arms around her from behind. The human joy buzzer was trapped between them both. Elle hid her smile.

“Yes, I have been bad. Punish away, oh self-righteous ones.”

“We’re the ones who’ve been bad,” Claire admitted, softly, pressing a cautious kiss against Elle’s cheek.

Sylar paused, gritting his teeth. “We?”

“Yes, you,” Elle said, rubbing against him. Sylar made a face, one mixed with pleasure and slight hesitation. “I won’t be here forever. I had wanted you two would be happy someday. Happy together. I didn’t want you to…I dunno.

Now that’s really crazy, huh?”

Claire felt her heart clench, and Sylar ducked his head down, hiding his expression by pressing his face into Elle’s shoulder. She was not one to cry, not anymore, but this welling up of warmth and affection for Elle made that almost impossible. She swallowed hard, wanting to say that was the only sentiment truly good that she had heard in months. In a year, maybe.  
Before she knew it, she was kissing Elle, feeling her lips on her cheek, then desperately on her lips. She felt Sylar’s arms clutching at Elle against her stomach, and when they made it somehow to the bed, a tangle of limbs and touches, it was different this time.

More real. Sincere.

They framed Elle’s body in the bed, embracing her tightly. She held their hands in her own, her blonde hair a mess. Still, she seemed sad, even after the sex.

“What is your hero though?” Sylar pressed the question, probably out of nerves. Still-

“I kinda think Peter Parker is cute.”

“…Peter?”

“Why?” Sylar demanded.

“Because he tingles.”

“I can tingle!” Sylar said, looking upset. Claire hid her smile in the pillow.

“I know you can. So can I,” Elle said. Then her tone changed again. “I really would like you to try to get along.”

“We’ll try,” Claire promised. To her surprise, Sylar nodded. Sincerely. Taken aback by so much tonight, Claire just stretched out, grateful to be with them.

Falling asleep had been easy after getting off the stress. It felt like a bubble had popped, some tension had disappeared.

***

At two in the morning, Claire woke up to hear the TV going again, Elle’s spot in between them the same expect for Elle’s presence.

Such a sneak.

Claire smiled, feeling more peaceful than she had in months.


End file.
